When I last talked about the MVP race I supported Evgeni Malkin over Alexander Ovechkin. I did this in part because Malkin has a significant lead in the points race. He doesn’t anymore. Malkin’s lead has shrunk to two points. Ovechkin has a huge lead in goals and it would take a minor miracle for him to not win the Rocket Richard Trophy. Since goals are a more significant measure of offensive status of a player than assists, I support Alexander Ovechkin as the current Hart Trophy leader.

There are a few other fringe candidates that might obtain support in some circles including Zach Parise, Pavel Datsyuk, Steve Mason, Sidney Crosby and Tim Thomas but none are likely to seriously impact the Hart Trophy race. It is between Ovechkin and Malkin and Ovechkin has recently pulled into the lead.